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Both players missed chances to take control of the seventh frame, before Allen grasped his opportunity to claim a notable scalp and his place in the semi-finals of the tournament which concludes on Sunday.

O'Sullivan told BBC 2: "He deserved his win, it was one of those things, good luck to Mark.

"From my perspective I can rest up now and get ready for my next event. I had to show up, if I was a football player I would have missed this game.

"I'm struggling, I don't know if it's a virus, I've had it before and it's very difficult, I gave it a go."